SUP history will be made tomorrow when a group of us cross Port Phillip Bay for the first time on stand up paddle boards.
We're going from Point Cook to Sandringham.. We expect a 30 knot tail wind and two meter swells.. Waaa-Hooo! .. 
Pics tomorrow night.. btw.. When we cross the shipping chanel do we give way to the right.. or the left.. if a big ship is coming.. 
DJ
I'm suggesting to give way both ways !!! 
Those things are big !! I thought those things more or less had right of way ??
What time are you starting ??
I want to be part of an Indented Head to Sandringham crossing. 30 odd k's, with a nice big Sou'Wester.
Good Luck DJ...look forward to some pics!
Hey DJ
This might be usefull, these are the shipping movements for tomorrow. looks like a gap between 10am and 2 pm.
These times are a prediction but not a promise as POMC always tell me.
If your taking a VHF might be an idea to call up shipping control and ask them for the current inbound and out bound traffic on 16.
Where you normally paddle down the east side of the bay is well clear of the exclusion zones, where you are going tomorrow directly transists the exclusion zone.
Have an awesome day cant wait for the pics.
Phill
11/04/2010 05:15 Arrival Spirit of Tasmania 2 Devonport Station Pier Inner E TT Line Company Pty Ltd
11/04/2010 06:00 Removal Sebarok Spirit (T) Anchorage - Outer Gellibrand Pier Inchcape Shipping Services P/L Melbourne
11/04/2010 06:00 Arrival Victorian Reliance Burnie Webb Dock 1 East Toll Shipping
11/04/2010 07:00 Arrival Searoad Tamar Devonport Webb Dock 2 East Searoad Shipping
11/04/2010 07:30 Arrival CSL Pacific Mackay Yarraville No.5 Inchcape Shipping Services P/L Melbourne
11/04/2010 10:00 Departure Majala Webb Dock 4 East Sydney Neptune Pacific Agencies
11/04/2010 14:30 Departure Cap Blanche Swanson Dock 4 West Sydney Hamburg Sud Australia Pty Ltd
11/04/2010 15:00 Departure Maersk Dunafare Swanson Dock 4 East Fremantle Inchcape Shipping Services P/L Melbourne
11/04/2010 18:00 Departure Victorian Reliance Webb Dock 1 East Burnie Toll Shipping
11/04/2010 19:30 Departure Spirit of Tasmania 2 Station Pier Inner E Devonport TT Line Company Pty Ltd
11/04/2010 20:30 Arrival Challenge Pioneer Kwinana Holden Dock Inchcape Shipping Services P/L Melbourne
11/04/2010 20:30 Arrival OOCL Yokohama Sydney Swanson Dock 4 West Inchcape Shipping Services P/L Melbourne
11/04/2010 22:30 Departure Xutra Bhum Swanson Dock 1 West Indonesia - other RCL (Australia) Pty Ltd
11/04/2010 23:59 Departure Xu Chang Hai South Wharf 29 Thevenard Inchcape Shipping Services P/L Melbourne
Thanks heaps for all that info Phill... You, Kristi, Lummers, Rich and Simon will have to join us when we do the Geelong to Sandy down-winder on a good sou-wester.. That's gunna be a beauty..
DJ
Hay DJ
Well I'm of the work. Have fun out there on your Downwind Paddle today hope its nucing out there & the runners are plenty. Let me no this arvo how good it was
DW
Yes, Naish attack. But I can't get away. The (slightly stubborn) wifey is desperate to go to the gym this morning. No amount of negotiating was working.... so I have stay home on baby sitting duties ! : (
2 surfs yesterday doesn't help me much today !!
Conditions are looking great. Plenty of wind. A slightly chilli day with rain patches. But the steamer fixes those problems !
Plenty of wind and blue skies right now. Have a great time and post plenty of pics.
The boys got the weather they need so it should be a fast trip!
The storm hit the coast about 8.15 with solid winds and some short but heavy rain patches.
Weather update from BOM
Avg kph Gust kph
Avalon 11/08:50am WNW 50 78
Fawkner Beacon 11/08:46am W 48 67
Melbourne Forecast
IDV10450
Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
Victoria
Melbourne Forecast
Issued at 5:15 am EST on Sunday 11 April 2010
for the period until midnight EST Saturday 17 April 2010.
Warning Summary at issue time
Severe weather warning for damaging winds for the Central forecast district.
Strong wind warning for Port Phillip.
Strong wind warning for Western Port.
Details of warnings are available on the Bureau's website www.bom.gov.au, by telephone 1300-659-217* or through some TV and radio broadcasts.
Forecast for the rest of Sunday
Partly cloudy. Scattered showers. Isolated thunderstorms with hail possible from the late morning until late afternoon. Winds northwesterly averaging up to 50 km/h tending west to southwesterly by the afternoon.
Fire Danger: Low to Moderate [0-11]
UV Alert from 10:30 am to 2:10 pm, UV Index predicted to reach 4 [Moderate]
only three out of the four made it to sandringham , the other took a different course but is now safe and well,
stay tuned an interesting day
What was the distance ypu guys paddled?
How long did it take eg. time?
How strong was the wind-was it the right winds?
Do you wear the GARMIN 305 to record everything I dont leave home without it!
I'm just qurious as I get right into Downwind Paddling love being fanatical about times!
A good downwind run to me is as good as getting tubed of ya face
DW
I wasn't on the paddle today but I did watch the weather from my chilly garage sale and noticed the wind peaks of 100 km/h at Laverton, StKilda and Fawkner Beacon around 10.30, which must have been close enough to start time.
Just got back home. I'll leave it to DJ to tell the tale, but suffice it to say that four boards made it across the bay but only 3 1/2 people did. All safe and well though.
I'm gonna go pour myself a beer!
I piked out of it this morning when I saw how wild the conditions were. I also had to be back by 1:00pm and thought that I was not suitably equipped with a pfd, a bright jacket and water supplies. The thought of hitting a ship while crossing the shipping channel freaked me a bit also.
Just glad everyone made it back.
Hey Phill, like Rosscoe said,will leave this one to DJ ,he'll have the best pic's to go with it,
Downwinder, the distance was just under 20k's ,
Pete crossed in under 2hrs, he's got a heap of bay experience and did it comfortably in good time,
Rosscoe and I in 2 and a half hours,I fell in way to many times but new to this so just need some more practice.
In pumping Downwind conditions its very easy to do 12km in an hour that 5 minutes a k. I know Jocko & I have done those times. The fastest I've ever done 12km in is 57 minutes & that rear. Condition have to be perfect windy direction conditions & perfect swell direction.
Cant wait to hear DJ story hope DJ writes an essay
I'll post pics and a report later.
I've got a hot shower to take to cure my hypothermia and I've got a motorcycle race to watch at a mates place.
The wind went ballistic today and I had dramas galore.
DJ
It's just getting more intriguing !!
But if DJ had a few troubles, why was he not helped out !! ??
I would have thought that the front runners should try and pause for a few minutes here and there, to make sure the tail end was doing OK. Unless DJ gave them the nod to go on ....
I wonder if DJ's non-stock rudder guides caused any issues... ??? Intriguing....
Hey Simon,
Camo and Ross are solid guys they would take serious risks to help anyone.
in 100kph winds you might not be able to help.
BOM peaked at 57kn in Altona while they were out and Altona bay is very shallow.
Sounds like everyone is safe.
DJ will have a great story for around the open fire by the sounds of it.
phill
